Three Steps to DIY Heating System Testing

Three Steps to DIY Heating System Testing

One of worst problems you can have with your heating system is need repair in the beginning of the heating season. If you detect serious issues in late October you may have problems with getting it back to operation in time for the heating season. Most heating professionals will be busy doing annual tune-ups and service and their schedule would be full, while you could be freezing, or switching to a secondary heating source which is usually more expensive and less convenient. To prevent this, you should test your heating system well before the start of a new heating season. All you need to do is:

Make sure your heating system is turned on. That would mean your emergency switch is in the “on” position, and your thermostat is at 10 to 20 degrees higher than it’s common for winter, so it should work at current temperatures of your room. Note that there are two emergency switches: one at the stairs and another on the boiler. Both need to be in the “on” position.

Wait a few minutes before the system starts working in that manner so you can hear noises which are common during its operation.

If the equipment doesn’t start, press the reset button once. Do not press it again, no matter what happens.

If your equipment still hasn’t started to work, first check if your heater’s fuse or circular breaker is tripped, and check again if your thermostat is properly turned on. You can further check the state of your fuses and power supply to the pump, even though these problems are relatively uncommon. If everything is properly tuned and the burner is still down, contact your heating oil dealer for further steps.

If the equipment started to work and you hear noises, keep it turned on for a while and try to detect any possible issues which can be noticeable only when it’s running. This should be leaking oil pipes or burner, irregular combustion and noises from the oil pump. Early detection of any issues with your system would be much better, so you can schedule a servicing appointment early, before you would even need some heat. Along with the repair you should ask the heating equipment professional to tune-up your system immediately. This would help them detect even some possible underlying problems which you can’t normally notice and should have relation to the issue which let you seek professional assistance. Once all the interventions are done, you should fill your tank with oil, at least partially. This would be good for the tank, and you should get a better price than if you order oil at the beginning of cold days.

During the test run, you should check if all registers or get a proper amount of heat. If you have radiators, you should check for heating water leaks and bleed all radiators in your home.